[AGR]

I am not a musician. I did see ELP in 1974 during the 'Brain Salad Surgery' Tour, and I have always considered Carl Palmer, not only my favorite drummer, but also, maybe the best in Rock.

I became a Rush fan in the 80s, and I always heard how good Neil Peart was. The "Rush in Rio" DVD really solidifies that! Wow! Neil Peart also lists Carl Palmer as one of his influences. Palmer is a few years older.

There probably is no correct answer here. I don't know. They are both wonderful drummers.

 

[AndrewB]

I caught ELP in '86 (I think) when they toured with Cozy Powell as drummer. Man, he was good. The show was great too! That'd make three great drummers

 

[elrod-tom]

I actually heard Carl Palmer use the F-word in a radio interview when he was with Asia...thought the connection had been lost. OOPS!!

Actually, they're both pretty good drummers, but Kieth Moon could certainly give either a run for their money. Of course he's dead, so that would hold him back a bit I suppose.

 

[Sovkiller]

They are both from different schools, but IMO Neil Pearl will beat Carl technically.....and of course is a few years younger, evne while Carl is in pretty good shape, the years are there....

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Carl is great, but Neil is a god. Sorry, ELP fans, there just is no comparison -- if you watch, for example, the video he did, Work in Progress, behind the making of just the drum parts of Test for Echo, you would see that he composes his drum parts just as fastidiously as any other musician does on any other instrument, he doesn't just "play drum parts".

Besides, he's kept it going since (when was Fly by Night, 1971?), and Carl has faded into obscurity, so his career is that much shorter.

 

[DRuM]

Vinnie colaiuta owns both of em.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk Carl is great, but Neil is a god. Sorry, ELP fans, there just is no comparison -- if you watch, for example, the video he did, Work in Progress, behind the making of just the drum parts of Test for Echo, you would see that he composes his drum parts just as fastidiously as any other musician does on any other instrument, he doesn't just "play drum parts". Besides, he's kept it going since (when was Fly by Night, 1971?), and Carl has faded into obscurity, so his career is that much shorter.

Fly by Night.....1975, this was the first rush with Neil...Carl Palmer has pretty good stuff also, but technically Neil is amazing, just take a look at "Burning for Buddy" a tribute for Buddy Rich in which Neil offer a lot, and organized almost the whole thing....with a lot of prestigious musicians and drummers...

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRuM Vinnie Colaiuta owns both of em.

Maybe but he was not included in the poll, the poll is about Carl and Neil....only....

 

[Magic77]

I think it's impossible with these two Drummers to actually say one is better than the other. Both are great players,IMO. It's just a matter of personal taste.

 

[DRuM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller Maybe but he was not included in the poll, the poll is about Carl and Neil....only....

True enough.



Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller Fly by Night.....1975, this was the first rush with Neil...Carl Palmer has pretty good stuff also, but technically Neil is amazing, just take a look at "Burning for Buddy" a tribute for Buddy Rich in which Neil offer a lot, and organized almost the whole thing....with a lot of prestigious musicians and drummers...

Peart is a great drummer. However, out of all the drummers on burning for buddy, he was the weakest.

 

[AGR]

I find it interesting that when Carl Palmer was 18, Buddy Rich befriended him. Buddy took an instant liking to Carl Palmer. However; Carl Palmer does not play on either of the "Burning for Buddy" albums.

I still cannot get over that fantastic solo that Neil Peart did on "Rush in Rio"! Only after seeing that, from a personal viewpoint, I began wondering if he is better than Carl Palmer. Ha! But; I doubt Carl Palmer even does solos of that length any longer.

Somone mentioned that Carl Palmer hasn't been busy lately. However; if you check out his website, you will see he is quite active, and has been. Yeah! It does bum me out that ELP never hung together over the years. That trio was incredible!

http://www.carlpalmer.com/

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRuM Peart is a great drummer. However, out of all the drummers on burning for buddy, he was the weakest.

Sorry to strongly disagree, to play with swing, does not mean to play like Pearl does, most of those players were indeed, jazz drummers, they play very nice, they have swing (case of Steve Gad for example, or Steve Smith), and I love the way they play, but IMO just a few of them have the technique that Pearl has. Neil Pearl IIRC was the producer of that album, and this is not by coincidence, it could be Billy Cobham, but he was not.
Please this is a myth, once a drummer plays jazz, is considered a God. I was friend of a professional drummer and teacher or percussion, in my natal country, and we have a lot of personal friends that play percussion, not only drums, and we discuss that many times....Buddy Rich was the pioneer of the drummers, and as such he deserves respect and admiration, but if you consider the technique we have nowadays, even techniques developed after he stopped playing....Sorry, to disagree and maybe you will consider this as a heresy, but I consider and those percussion teachers I know, consider that we have a lot better drummers even in rock, and heavy metal bands, Mike Portnoy, Neil Pearl, Bill Brufford, Carl Palmer, Phil Collins, even old guys like, Ian Paice, Mitch Michell, are extraordinary good, for those oldies form the golden jazz era...the drum technique is not the same now, than 50 years ago....

 

[Nightfall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magic77 I think it's impossible with these two Drummers to actually say one is better than the other. Both are great players,IMO. It's just a matter of personal taste.

Probably the most truthful statement made here, and about any two great musicians that cannot be evaluated playing the same material.


JC

 

[DRuM]

Sov killer,
First of all, I'm not putting neil peart down, he is a great drummer. But pound for pound, neil peart is just not technically in the same league as gadd, smith, cobham, colaiuta, and chambers. I know this because I have studied all the great drummers and taken my influences from all of them.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRuM Sov killer, First of all, I'm not putting neil peart down, he is a great drummer. But pound for pound, neil peart is just not technically in the same league as gadd, smith, cobham, colaiuta, and chambers. I know this because I have studied all the great drummers and taken my influences from all of them.

He is probably not as Billy Cobham, but the rest are not as Peart, according to people that "teach" music, and percusion in music schools and academies, I respect your points of view, but I'm not talking of taste, or influence, I'm talking of technique, and performance, at least Gadd and Smith, are not considered as Neil, and I have not seen them play as him neither, and I have a few videos from them, even some clinincs...
BTW he is not my favorite drummer, I like him, but I preffer some others: Tony Williams, Bill Brufford, among them, but he plays magically, I had all rush videos, and in all of them the performance is out of class, but once you see Brufford playing with King Crimson.......